


Something Always Brings Me Back To You

by irelandhoneybee



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: F/M, Karen Page needs a hug, Other, Post Defenders, post punisher
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 08:25:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13760142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irelandhoneybee/pseuds/irelandhoneybee
Summary: Karen goes to light a candle for the still presumed dead Matt and has a conversation with everyone’s favorite priest





	Something Always Brings Me Back To You

**Author's Note:**

> I have absolutely no idea what they’re planning re: how long Matt’s time away will be; since it has been confirmed that The Punisher was 6 months after The Defenders, my guess is that he’ll end up being gone for a year. This is 3 months after the events of The Punisher, so in this story, Matt has been presumed dead for 9 months.

She was surprised at how good it felt to be back. This was the longest she had gone between visits; it had been about three months since she had last been here. She hadn’t meant or planned to stay away for so long, but the Lewis drama and the fiasco at the hotel had completely drained her. It had actually distracted her at least for a while, as she didn’t have to try to force herself not to think about him . But inevitably thoughts of Matt had sprung back up, as they always did, and the past couple of days she found herself missing him so much her whole body ached. Maybe it was because his birthday was coming up. Maybe it was because she found herself walking past Josie’s the other day. Whatever the reason, she missed him. 

She couldn’t help but smile as she made her way to the altar, enjoying the sense of calm she was feeling for the first time in who knows when. Probably the last time she was here. Which amazed her. While she still flat-out rejected so much regarding organized religion, she had to admit that coming here helped. 

There were a few other candles that were lit, but she must have just missed the people who had lit them. She had the entire place to herself. She picked a candle to light, and stood back a little, admiring how beautiful it was before going to sit in her usual pew. 

It was kind of nice having the entire church to herself. This was the first time it had happened ever since she had started coming by herself; Foggy had come with her when she first had made a habit of coming, but had begged off after a while saying it was “just too difficult.” 

Karen enjoyed the silence, letting her thoughts drift. They had never found his body. Karen shook her head in an effort to get rid of that train of thought entirely. She didn’t let herself go there anymore. At all. Instead, she remembered the last time she had been here with Matt, for Grotto’s funeral, and smiled as she remembered before they had come, helping him with his tie and how much she had wanted him to kiss her. And how considering how cinematic their first kiss had ended up being, she was glad now that he hadn’t. 

After a few minutes she heard a door open. The solitude had been nice while it lasted.

But then a voice came from behind her: “Ms. Page, as I live and breathe.”

Karen smiled, instantly recognizing the voice, and turned around.

“Hi Father” she said, and went to stand up, but Father Lantom immediately gestured for her to remain seated.

“Mind if I join you?”

“Of course not”, she said, scooting over a little on the bench as he sat down.

“You’ve had quite the time recently from what I heard on the radio and what’s been in the paper.”

“Yeah, it was a little crazy for a while there.”

“Sounded like it was more than just a ‘little’ crazy”.

Karen chuckled and shrugged. “All in a day’s work, I guess.”

Father Lantom grinned at her and a comfortable silence settled over them. After a few minutes, though, Karen felt his eyes on her and turned to look at him.

He didn’t say anything, just continued to look at her and after a moment Karen let out a nervous laugh.

“I haven’t seen you around here in a while.” He said gently.

Karen nodded before speaking. “Yeah…” she trailed off, and found herself blinking back tears. 

“Can I ask you a question?” she said, wiping her eyes.

“Of course”.

“Is it bad that I don’t say a prayer when I light a candle?”.

Father Lantom chuckled. “Most people do, but no one is going to come arrest you if you don’t.”

Karen gave him a sad smile and looked down at her lap for a minute before asking in a small voice “Do you think it’s weird that I like coming here when I don’t, you know…-“ her voice caught and didn’t say anything else, knowing he’d know what she was trying to say.

“You’re probably asking the wrong man.” 

Karen couldn’t help but laugh at his response.

“But no, I don’t think it’s weird. Can I ask you a question?”

Karen smiled. “Of course.”

“Why do you come here, when you don’t, you know…” he said with a smile, teasing her, using her words.

The words were out before Karen even had a chance to think about what she wanted to say.

“Because being here makes me feel close to him.”

Father Lantom didn’t say anything so she went on.

“I know he’s gone, and I know this will sound crazy. But sometimes I just get this feeling that he’s still….here. Do you think that’s weird?”

“Again, you’re probably asking the wrong man”.

Karen laughed through her tears, bringing a hand up to wipe her eyes. 

“I don’t know; I just…I like coming here”, she said softly.

“I think he would be very happy that you’re here; that you choose to remember him this way”, he said.

Karen let out a breath. “I don’t know about that.”

“Why?” he asked.

“I’ve told you before we weren’t exactly in the best place when…” her voice broke on the last word as tears filled her eyes once again.

Father Lantom gently patted her knee as he saved her from continuing her sentence.

“Yes, I know the two of you were…I know it was difficult between you. But let me ask you another question. Is that all you’re thinking about when you come here-the distance between you at the end? And your anger towards him?” 

“No…I…I mean, I do think about that, but I also just think about…him.”

“All of the good things too, right?”

Karen nodded.

“Even though you have your doubts about all of this, you’ve said you can feel him when you come here. In my book that counts as spiritual connection. So yes, I think he would be very happy that you’re here.”

Karen hung her head as she didn’t even try to stop the tears this time. 

They sat in silence for a little while, Karen admitting to herself that she loved the idea of her thoughts somehow making their way to Matt. Even if it was all in her head, she hadn’t been exaggerating; she did feel his presence even after all this time, especially whenever she came here. She smiled as the memory of how her grandmother would always speak of her grandfather as if he was in the next room, even years after he had died. The one time Karen had asked her about it her grandma’s response had been that of course she talked to him like he was still here because she felt him in every square inch of the house. Maybe there was something to all of this. Maybe. 

After a few more minutes she started to gather her things.

“I should go…I have an article to finish.”

“Next time you come I’ll make you an espresso”.

Karen smiled. “I’d like that.”

“Until next time, Miss Page”.

“Goodnight, Father.”

Karen paused as she reached the door, taking one more look over her shoulder, glancing around the church and taking a deep breath before she returned the chaos outside.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Sara Bareilles’ “Gravity"


End file.
